May 13, 2024
An Open Letter to the Select Board of Littleton, N.H.
I urge you as leaders and decision-makers in Littleton to plan for the future waste needs of our town. North Country Environmental Services (NCES/Casella) in Bethlehem is scheduled to close in 2026, therefore Littleton needs to properly plan for alternatives to Casella’s services.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, all landfills leak. In time, the proposed landfill project in Dalton will affect water quality in Forest Lake and the Ammonoosuc River and should not be permitted.
The citizens of Littleton voted by a 3-1 margin in 2021 to oppose Casella’s landfill development proposed in Dalton in close proximity to Forest Lake and the Ammonoosuc River. The site chosen may be across a political boundary, but geologically and geographically it is united with our own community. The citizens of Littleton and the surrounding towns do not want hundreds of trash-hauling trucks driving through our already congested Main Streets and past our elementary schools, nor do we want the Ammonoosuc River to be contaminated when there is a problem - and there will be a problem eventually. This is the very river we are showcasing in our beautiful healthy downtown!
Littleton’s representatives need to be in touch with companies that offer solid waste disposal within a reasonable distance. The Androscoggin Valley Regional Refuse Disposal District (AVRRDD) owns and manages the Mt. Carberry landfill near Berlin. The Mt. Carberry landfill does not have to take waste from out of state. Thus, their primary goal is not profit making for directors and investors from afar who don’t care about the quality of life here in the North Country.
Mt. Carberry has the capacity to accept waste from Littleton and is currently permitted to operate through 2041. The towns of Dalton, Franconia, Easton, and Sugar Hill already send their waste to Mt. Carberry. The Bethlehem Select Board has formed a transfer station committee that is in the process of assessing the options available for Bethlehem’s waste disposal needs before NCES closes. Waste Management is another NH option for waste disposal. At the very least we should know about alternative contractors and their annual fees. It is better to negotiate proactively when there are alternatives available and there is ample time to consider them.
I urge you as members of the Select Board to begin planning now for the future solid waste needs of Littleton, a town whose majority does NOT support the proposed landfill development in Dalton.
I request the Board to write to Philip Trowbridge, Manager of the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) Land Resource Management Program to express their full support of the Littleton Conservation Commission (LCC) letter dated March 15, 2024. The time is at hand for the Select Board of Littleton be on record strongly opposed to the granting of a permit to the Casella Corporation for the proposed landfill. The outcome of your decision will affect human health for future generations.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this timely question. Thank you for your consideration-and for your service to our town.
Sincerely,
Pat Kellogg
Manns Hill, Littleton, N.H.
News Report: Resident Urges Board To Consider Alternatives To Casella
by Robert Blechl 5/16/2024
LITTLETON - As the North Country Environmental Services landfill in Bethlehem approaches its projected closure in 2026, questions from members of the Littleton public are being sought regarding Littleton’s future solid waste removal.
At the same time, a resident is urging the Select Board to consider alternatives to Casella Waste Systems.
“Right now, we are collecting questions or comments from the constituents about solid waste removal,” Littleton Select Board member Kerri Harrington said during the board’s meeting on Monday. “Nothing about environment or environmental questions, more about the scheduling, the cost, and what’s going to happen when NCES closes.”
She said that questions submitted via email are ideal because they can all be collated.
“At a future meeting, we’ll have people come in to discuss that,” said Harrington. “Feel free to ask questions.”
During the public input segment of Monday’s meeting, Littleton resident Pat Kellogg read an open letter to the Select Board.
Link to full story:
www.caledonian...
Негізгі бет Resident Pat Kellogg Addresses the Town of Littleton, NH Selectboard, 5/13/2024
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